For Chinese President Xi Jinping, the word "people" carries profound weight. His governance philosophy, rooted in decades of firsthand experience, has consistently prioritized addressing the most pressing concerns of ordinary people.
Fulfilling the people's aspiration for a better life is always at the center of Xi's blueprint for the country's new journey towards "a great modern socialist country."
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people, especially the country's least privileged groups, in nearly every one of his domestic inspection tours.
"My grandfather was a farmer. My father started as a farmer before joining the revolution, and I myself spent seven years as a farmer. It was during that time that I came to understand the people -- their lives, their struggles -- and truly grasped the foundations of society. That experience was fundamental. Many of my pragmatic convictions took root in those years," said Xi.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has conducted over 100 grassroots inspections, using these opportunities to understand local conditions and explain national policies.
"No matter how busy I am, I always take time to visit and walk among our local communities. The heartfelt words you've shared with me have stayed with me all the time," he once said.
Poverty had plagued China for thousands of years. Despite decades of economic boom, China in 2012 still had 98.99 million people living under the poverty line, with a per capita income of less than 2,300 yuan a year, or about one U.S. dollar a day.
Xi, who has conducted more than 50 poverty alleviation investigations, set year 2020 as the deadline for China to eradicate absolute poverty, ensuring all Chinese could take their rightful place as citizens of a well-off society.
Between 2012 and 2020, over 3 million public sector officials were sent from cities and towns to villages to fight poverty "on the front lines." Nearly 1.6 trillion yuan (about 248.4 billion U.S. dollars) of fiscal funds were invested into poverty alleviation programs.
In February 2021, Xi announced a "complete victory" in eradicating absolute poverty.
"The Communist Party of China is committed to pursuing a happy life for the people. Whatever people feel unhappy or dissatisfied with, that's where we focus our efforts to address their concerns and solve their problems," said the Chinese president.
This commitment has been translated into concrete actions. Under Xi's leadership, the CPC has focused its reform efforts precisely where people face difficulties.
"These policy measures formulated by the Party Central Committee -- we gauge their effectiveness by whether they make you smile or cry. Today I see everyone smiling. But if we saw tears, we'd pay close attention and make necessary corrections," said Xi.
Over the past decade, Xi has not only led China to eradicate absolute poverty, but also to build the world's largest infrastructure network, and construct the world's most extensive social security system in scale and the largest middle-income group.
China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5 percent year on year to hit 134.91 trillion yuan (about 18.81 trillion U.S. dollars), while the per capita GDP rose 5.1 percent year on year to 95,749 yuan in 2024.
"He (Xi) is the head of state of a great country, he is an experienced head of state who has crossed all the layers of Chinese society in many regions and who knows his country very well," said former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
"I think he's (Xi) a very charismatic leader who loves the people of his country and he has looked after them, put them at the front, run the country in a people-centered manner. The way that the economy of the country has grown, risen up, is remarkable under his leadership," said Mohamed Muizzu, president of the Republic of Maldives.
Recent policy documents, including the decision adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July 2024, reflect this people-centered approach, mentioning "the people" 46 times and emphasizing responsiveness to public needs.
As China is now formulating its 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030, Xi has stressed the importance of combining top-level design with public consultation and people's welfare.
From his youth dreaming of "villagers feasting on meat" to steering the Chinese dream of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi's five-decade career as a people's servant has been a testament to his vow: "I hope I can persevere for my entire life and accomplish what I've set out to do, that is, to do more for the people."
Xi Jinping -- the Man of the People
